The Portland daily press., 1887-05-11
SHAKEN FOR THREE DAYS.
Details Of the Earthquakes In Sonora
Hot Water, Sulphur, Lava, Stones
and Smoke Filled the Air.
Forty Families Destroyed at cosa
Owanda-voicanoes.

Ell PAso, Tex, May 10.-The details of
the recent earthquake in the State of Sonora
are coming in slowly. Lieut.. Britain Davis
brings startling news of the convulsiOn
southwest Of Carolites. The mines are
located 40 miles southwest of Ell Paso, but
the greatest destruction occurred 200 miles
southwest Of here. Lieut.. Davis said "As
far as / could learn the entire Caroltes dis
trict and the country for 200 miles southwest
OF 1t were in q constant state of convulsion
for three days. At the first shock myself
and several other Americans and English
men sought places Of safety on plateaus, but
the shocks were so rapid and powerful that
we expected every moment to be killed. An
active volcano developed 10 miles from u.s.
and when left 1t was pouring forth stream
OF hot water as thick as a mans body. This
column Of water was thrown thirty feet in
the air and is impregnated with sulphur and
lava. Stones as big as mans head are
forced up with it. Smoke and fumes Of
sulphur make it difficult to breathe in the
vicinity. At Oj0 Doh Pedro. a town in the
vicinity, 20 people were killed and nearly
every building destroyed. At Cosa Owanda,
southeast of there. forty families were de-
stroyed. The Mexicans are panic stricken
and have given up all ordinary pursuits
There are number of other out of the way
mining towns in the vicinity that | fear are
no attempt to gather the details and the
American miners are the only persons who
are trying to get at the facts. From reports
coming in it appears that the entire south
western part Of Sonora has been subjected
to the severest shocks. Geysers and vol
canoes are reported in all parts Of the
stricken territory"
SAN FRANCISCO, May 10.-A Special from
Guaymas, Mex, dated yesterday, SAYS
Shocks continue at Ures. Many buildings
have been cracked and rendered unsafe. No
body has been hurt, but the inhabitants are
leaving as fast as possible. A large slice of
the mountain near the town fell down with
terrible crash, The friction Of the rocks
lgnited the woods, causing the belief that a
volcano had broken out. At the Delicias
great panic. A whole hill fell down, scat
tering the rocks among $50 persons. but
fortunately nobody was hurt. The districts
beyond telegraphic communication have not
yet been heard from. The authorities are
waiting the arrival of c0urers.
A special from Tucson, A. T., dated yes
terday, says: X. j. Kerr has returned from
his trip to Tres Alemos, in the San Pedro
Valley. He reports the earthquake fssure
to be not less than 10 miles long. 1t extends
from a short distance below Benson to 25
miles below Tres Alamos. At the surface
the fssure varies in width from to Is
inches: On one side the earth has sunk
several inches. and at places along the crack
water burst forth, but afterwards ceased
flowing. The crack in many places Is still
open to the depth of several feet. From the
Empire Rancho, 20 miles south Of here, a
assure is also reported. Reliable inform
alton states that when the earth opened
water and mud were thrown to great hight.
One spring in that vicinity went dry and
two others doubled their volume Of water,
but on the cessation of the disturbance the
dry spring commenced flowing, and in the
other two the water diminished TO its former
state